Autonomous flight startup Reliable Robotics raises $115M, valuation tops $1B

Reliable Robotics, a Mountain View-based startup developing autonomous flight technology for existing aircraft, has raised $115 million in an extension of its Series D round. The financing includes $90 million in equity led by Nimble Partners and $25 million in debt from Silicon Valley Bank.

The round brings Reliable's total Series D funding to $275 million and pushes its valuation past the $1 billion mark. The company has raised $380 million to date. Funds will be used to advance FAA certification of its autonomous flight system.

Co-founder and CEO Robert Rose, a former SpaceX flight software director, said the startup continues to deliver evidence to the FAA as it moves closer to certification. The company is pursuing certification across several fronts, including a continuous autopilot engagement system that handles engine start, taxi, takeoff and landing with a pilot onboard, expected to be certified in 18 to 24 months.

Reliable is also developing a solid-state collision-avoidance radar, which Rose expects to be certified by the end of 2027. Its airline, Reliable Airlines, operates six Cessna Caravans on cargo flights and would become the first carrier certified to use the autonomous technology.